Tin can stacker



H. w. MADDEN 'rm CAN STACKER May 26, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 26, 1950 Inventor 34 Home?" Wffqzdden Attorney y 26, 1953- H. w. MADDEN 2,639,823

TIN CAN STACKER Filed May 26, 1950 s Sheets-Shet a Homer Wffaddew MMW Attorney .33 Q 3 ii May 26, 1953 H. w, MADDEN 2,639,823

TIN CAN STACKER Filed May 26, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet s E v Inventor 07726? W/Vaacien Allorney y 26, 3 H, w. MADDEN 2,639,823

TIN CAN STACKER Filed-May 26, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 T; Invvnlor 17077262" Wjlfadd'en, )1. W

A rlurm'y May 26, 1953 H. w. MADD-EN I 2,639,823

' TIN CAN STACKER Filed May 26, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet s In 'um tor Home? W faddew A Ilnrnry Patented May 26, 1953 TIN CAN STACKER Homer W. Madden, Hanover, Ind.

Application May 26, 1950, Serial No. 164,425

16 Claims.

This invention relates to a machine for stacking tin cans and more particularly to a machine which will eliminate the slow operation, previously performed manually, of stacking tin cans for storage or shipment.

More particularly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a machine for stacking empty tin cans for shipment to canneries or the like and/or for stacking empty tin cans after shipment for storage at canneries and whereby the tin cans may be fed singularly to the machine and initially stacked thereon in an inclined position, thereafter disposed with the stack of the cans supported by the machine in an upright position and finally disengaged from the machine and positioned in abutting engagement against a previously positioned vertical row or stack of cans and with each of the cans in the stack disposed with its longitudinal axis in a horizontal plane.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a machine having a mobile support and cam and lever means for disengaging a stack of cans from the machine and by means of which a thrust is exerted on the stack of cans for either displacing the cans away from the machine, if the machine is disposed stationary and the cans are being stacked upon a movable dolly, or for displacing the machine away from the stack, if the cans are being stacked by the machine on a stationary platform or supporting surface.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a machine which will operate automatically with electric motors for actuating moving parts thereof and having switch means for intermittently energizing and de-energizing the motors whereby the cans are fed onto an inclined supporting surface of the machine by a driven feeder which reciprocates back and forth across the top of the machine as an elevator which supports the bottom row of cans moves downwardly relatively to the inclined supporting surface and whereby after the elevator reaches a lowermost position at which time said inclined supporting surface is completely filled with cans, the traversing feeder and elevator will be stopped and said surface thereafter swung to an upright position and the cans then disengaged from the machine either by being displaced out of engagement therewith or by the machine being displaced away from the cans.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine having switch controlled elec- .porting surface to resume an inclined position so the elevator can be rapidly returned to a position adjacent the top of said inclined surface for receiving the bottom row of another stack of cans thereafter fed thereto from the feeder and when the traversing operation of the feeder is resumed after return of the elevator to an uppermost position.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a stop means associated with the feeder and which prevents the cans being fed therefrom while the inclined surface is in an upright position and before the elevator has resumed an uppermost position after discharge of a stack of cans therefrom.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafter become more fully apparent from the following description of the drawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view showing the machine with the parts as they will appear while the machine is being loaded with a stack of cans;

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly in section of the machine but with the parts thereof disposed for discharging a stack of cans therefrom;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view partly in section of the machine in a discharging position;

Figure 4 is a rear elevational view of the machine looking from left to right of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of the machine, partly broken away, looking from right to left of Figure 1 and with the parts disposed in the same position as in Figure 1; t

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 1-1 of Figure 5; I

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 88 of Figure 4;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the elevator;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary front elevational view showing the elevator in a lowermost position and the can supporting surface in an upright position, and

Figure 11 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the electric circuit of the machine.

Referring more specifically to the drawings,

tric means for thereafter causing the can supthe can stacking machine in its entirety is designated generally I2 and includes a mobile supporting frame, designated generally it, which preferably includes a rectangular bottom frame portion M, formed of angle iron, upright rear corner posts i5 and upwardly and rearwardly inclined front corner posts It, said posts !5 and I6 being connected at their upper ends by top cross braces IT. The rear corner posts [5 are also connected by a top frame member 18 and the front corner posts are similarly connected at their upper ends by a top frame member l9 which is spaced from and disposed substantially parallel to the frame member IS. The parts 85 to 19 are likewise preferably formed of angle iron. The bottom frame portion I 5 also includes cross braces 2%, as seen in Figure 2, which extend from front to rear thereof. The mobile frame [3 is supported on castors Z I The bottom of the frame 5-? is provided at its forward portion and adjacent its ends with downwardly and forwardly extending brackets 22 forming bearings for iournalling the end portions of a shaft 23. A rectangular frame 24, formed of angle iron, is provided adjacent its bottom with bearing portions which project from the inner side thereof and which are journalied on the shaft 23 for swingably mounting the frame 24 on the mobile frame 13 and adjacent the lower, forward end of said frame i3. A plurality of rods 2-3 which are disposed in spaced substantially parallel relationship extend between the top and bottom portions of the frame and are secure at their ends to said top and bottom frame portions so that said rods 26 combine with the frat; e 2 3 to form a wall, designated generally Zl, of grillworl: construction which adapted to nor mally rest against the upwardly and rearwardly inclined front corner posts it; and to he supported thereby in an upwardly and rearwardly inclined position and with the upper end or edge of the wall 2'! disposed at approximately the level of the top of the frame 53, as illustrated in Figure 1. As best seen in Figure 3, the frame 24: is provided adjacent its upper edge with inwardly or rearwardly extending bearings 28 for journalling a shaft 25 on which is mounted a pair of sprocket wheels 36. As seen in Figure 4, a pair of sprocket wheels 3! is fixed to the shaft 23, one of which aligns with each of the sprocket wheels 39 and an endless sprocket chain 32 is trained over each sprocket wheel 323 and the sprocket wheel 3| disposed therebeneath.

An elevator, designated generally 33, includes a plate 3 5 having end portions which ride upon the ends of the frame 25 and which is providedwith inwardly extending pairs of brackets 35, one of which pairs of brackets 35 is secured to one of the chains 32 and the other pair of brackets 35 is secured to the other chain 32. The elevator 33 includes a plurality of cars 32 of inverted V-shape cross section which project outwardly from the bottom edge of the plate t l in spacedsubstantially parallel relationship to one another and which form can supporting as will hereinafter become apparent The wall 2i is provided with outwardly extending plates 3? which are secured to and project outwardly fro n vertical sides of the frame and which extend substantially from top to bottom of said frame and between which the elevator 33 is reciprocally mounter. An electric motor 38 is supported on the frame base as by a bracket 3?: and has a belt pulley 33 secured to its armature shaft ll and which is connected by a belt :2 to abelt pulley i3 fixed to the shaft 23 for revolving said shaft 1 frame 53.

4 23 to drive the chains 32 which carry the elevator 33; the shaft constituting an idler shaft.

A cam shaft M is journalled in bearings i are supported on standards The stand-- it are fixed to and rise from the frame mcnn here 2 A crank d? is to each end of the cam shaft i l and each crank il is pivotally connected at its free end to one end of a rigid link it. The rigid Links All; extend forwardly from the cranks ll and are pivotally connectec their opposite ends, each to a push rod or bar all. The push ro ls or bars it are pivotally connected. at their forward ends each to a bar of angle iron which normally disposed within the grillwork wall 2?, said bars being p-ivotally connected to the push rods al intermediate of their ends, as seen at 5!. A bracket 52 is fastened at each end of the frame it and supports a guide rail 53 having a T-shaped head 5d on which is slidably mounted a channel member having a T-shaped slot. Each push rod to a channel menu ber 55 and each of said push rods i9 is similarly guided, as best illustrated in Figure 4, for movement forwardly and rearwardiy relatively to the are disposed beyond the bearings 55 and a cam 55 is fixed to the shaft M inwardly of and adja--. cent each bearing 65, said cams being of the,

secured to and extend upwardly from said shaft 53. As best illustrated in Figure 7, the level arms are each connected at its upper end by a rigid link so to an upright angle member 5? which is secured in the frame rs and which extends between the top and bottom thereof. -The levers '35 are disposed each to one side of one of the cams 555 and in close proximity thereto and each' lever 65 has a roller 68 journalled at a side thereof on a pin or stub shaft 69 and which rollers aredisposed in engagement with the eccentric peripheries of the cams .55, as illustrated in Figure. '7, and engage the cam surfaces which are disposedv adjacent the shaft ti l, when the grillwork wall.

2? is in a normal upwardly and rearwardly inclined position resting against the front corner posts it. When the cams are thus disposed, as seen in Figure '7, the cranks extend away from the grillwork wall 2? so that the push rods:

49 are in fully retracted positions.

As seen in Figure 4, a hanger plate ll) is secured to and depends from the top frame memher it! adjacent each rear corner post l5 and each hanger plate it supports a stub shaft ll. sprocket wheel 72 is fixed to each stub shaft H and an endless chain 13 is trained over the. sprocket wheels 12 and extends longitudinally of. Y the upper rear portion of the frame l3.

As seen in this figure, the cranks ll A shaft 53 is journalled beneath the,

chain 13 from the armature shaft 18. As seen in Figure 6, a pin 80 is fixed to and projects laterally from a link of the chain 13 in a direction forward of the frame l3 and has a block 8| fixed to its forward end which interfits in a slot 82 of a plate 83 and which permits the block 8| to reciprocate vertically relatively to the plate 83 so that the plate will be carried by the block 8| and chain 13 with said block engaging the upper end of the slot 82 when supported by the upper fiight of the chain 13 and thence moving downwardly to engage the lower end of the slot 82 as said block is supported by the bottom flight of the chain 13. Thus, the'block 81 moves in an endless path corresponding to the shape of the chain 13 and in so moving causes the plate 63 to reciprocate longitudinally of the frame [3. A supporting standard 84 is fixed to and rises from the plate 83 and is pivotally mounted at its upper end at 85 to the lower part of the intermediate portion of a feeder chute 86 which has angularly disposed ends 81 and 88 and which feeder chute 86 is of substantially rectangular cross section and preferably of open-work construction. The inlet end 81 which extends rearwardly from the frame I3 is supported in substantially a horizontal plane by a depending leg 89 which has a roller 90 journalled in its lower end and which roller rides upon the frame member l8 as the feeder chute 8-6 is reciprocated longitudinally of the frame l3 with the plate 83, as previously described by movement of the chain 13.

A conveyor 9|, constituting no part of the present invention and only one end portion of which has been illustrated in Figure 6 has a discharge end which is pivotally connected at 92 to the inlet end 81 of the feeder chute 86 so that by swingably supporting the opposite end, not shown,of the conveyor 9|, the end which is connected to the feeder 86 may swing and travel with the feeder 86 as it is reciprocated longitudinally of the frame l3. The conveyor 9| is intended to be readily movable with the machine [2 so that when the machine I2 is displaced from right to left of Figure 1, the conveyor 9| may move therewith and in the same direction. The conveyor 9| is shown as having an endless belt'for conveying cans 93 into the inlet end 81 of the feeder chute 86 but obviously, any suitable conveying means may be provided and if desired, the conveyor 9| may provide a gravity feed to the feeder edges which are engaged by rollers 95. The roll-' ers 95 are journalled on pins 96 which project from the standard 84 in the opposite direction to the bar 83. The guide rail 94 extends longitudinally of the frame 53 and is supported at its end on the front corner posts l6.

The forwarddischarge end 88 of the feeder chute 86 is curved downwardly and opens above and adjacent the grillwork wall 21 when said wall is inclined upwardly and rearwardly, as seen in Figure 6 for discharging the cans 93 therefrom onto the elevator 33.

A pair of guide bars 91 is secured to each side of the frame [3 and said guide bars extend forwardly from the front corner posts [*8 to provide guides for the grillwork wall 21 as it swings be tween its positions of Figures 1 and 3.

Assuming that the grillwork wall 21 is in its upwardly and rearwardly inclined position of Figure 1, the motor 38 may be energized to cause its armature shaft 4| to revolve rapidly in one direction so as to drive the shaft 23 in a counterclockwise direction as seen in Figure 1 until the elevator 33 is carried by the chain 32 upwardly to its uppermost position. The motor 38 is then energized by a rheostat switch to turn its armature shaft 4| at a slow speed in the opposite direction to cause the elevator 33 to move downwardly at a relatively slow speed. At the same time that the elevator 33 commences its downward movement, the electric motor 16 is energized to drive the chain 13 in one direction causin the chute 86 to be carried by the chain, as previously described, in a reciprocating movement back and forth across the top of the frame l3 and at a relatively slow speed and beginning from one end of said frame. As the chute 86 thus traverses the top of the frame l3 in one direction, it deposits a bottom row or course ofecans 93 on the elevator 33 and with the individual cans 93, as illustrated in Figure 5, each resting between two adjacently disposed fingers 36 and supported in an upwardly and outwardly inclined relationship with respect to the elevator 33 so that the inner open flanged ends 98 of the bottom row or course of cans 93 will rest against the elevator plate 34. After the feeder chute 86 has traversed the frame l3 from left to right of Figure 5, it will have deposited a complete bottom row of cans 93 on the can supporting fingers 36 and during this traversing movement of the feeder 86 from one end to the other of the frame I3, the elevator 33 will have been moved downwardly a distance equal to the diameter of any one of the cans 93 so that as the feeder 86 moves in the opposite direction or from right to left of Figure 5 it will deposit a second row of cans 93 upon the first row of cans and with the cans of the second row fitting between the cans of the first row and with the flanges 98 of said second row engaging in front of the flanges 98 of the bottom course of cans and similarly the rims 99 of the outer closed ends of the cans are likewise interlocked with the rims 99 of the second course engaging outwardly over the rims 99 of the course disposed therebeneath. This operation will be continued and repeated until the elevator 33 reaches the lower end of the wall 21 and the feeder chute 86 has once'again traversed the frame l3, at which time the inclined wall 21 will be completely filled with a plurality of rows of cans 93 stacked thereon. At this time, operation of the motors 38 and 16 is interrupted and the motor 51 is then energized for revolving the cam shaft 44 in a clockwise direction and from its initial position of Figures 1 and 7. When this occurs, the rollers 68 in riding over the eccentric peripheries of the cams 56 will be displaced forwardly of the frame I3 thus swinging the levers 65 in a forward direction so that their links 66 will exert a forward thrust on the wall 21 through the connection of the links 66 to the bars 61 of said wall until when the cams 56 have turned through an arc of approximately the wall 21 will have been swung upwardly so that it will' be disposed in an upright position and with the elevator fingers 36 resting on a supporting surface I08. Thereafter, the periphery of the earns 56 will ride out of engagement with the rollers 68; however, as the wall 21 is swung to its upright position by the cams 56, as previously described, the cranks 41 will have swung from their position of Figure 7 upwardly and forwardly to substantially upright positions. Thereafter, the cranks 41 will continue to swing forwardly so that after the wall 21 is disposed in an upright position, the links 48 will continue to project the push rods 49 forwardly of the frame 13 and the 1: bars 50 will then be displaced forwardly from their nested positions in the wall 21 to and beyond their positions of Figure 3 for ejecting the stack of cans 93 off of the elevator 33. Actually,

if the cans 93 are being stacked on a platform or stationary supporting surface as illustrated in the drawings at I00, a first stack of cans will be in engagement with an upright wall surface Ia when the bars 50 commence to move forwardly of the wall 21 so that instead of the cans being displaced away from the machine I2, the machine I2 will roll away from the cans on its castors 2I, as for example from right to left of Figure 3, a distance equal to the length of the cans and will subsequently roll in the same direction as nother stack of cans is stacked against the left-hand side of the stack as shown in Figure 3. If, on the other hand, the cans are to be stacked on a dolly, the casters ZI may be checked on a surface located above the dolly platform, not shown, and if the machine I2 is thus held immobile the dolly will be pushed away from the machine each time that a stack of cans is ejected from the elevator 33 by the bars 50.-

After the stack of cans has thus been disengaged from the elevator 33, the cranks 47 will have swung downwardly and forwardly tobeyond horizontal positions and will thereafter commence to swing rearwardly for exerting a rearward pull on their links 48 and thus on the push rods 49 for pulling the bars 50 rearwardly and toward the wall 21. When the bars 50 have resumed their nested positions in the wall 27, further movement of the cranks 41 in a rearward direction will cause the bars 50 to'exert a pull on the wall 2'I resulting in the wall 27 swinging on its pivot 23 back to its inclined position against the frame posts It. However, the rollers 68 by engaging the cams 50 will prevent a violent swinging of the wall 2'! toward the frame I3 and as the push rods 49 return to their fully retracted positions of Figure '7, the cams 55 will be likewise in their positions of Figure '7 since the cam shaft will then have completed one revolution, whereupon the electric motor is de-energized and the motor 38 energized in the first mentioned direction to rapidly revolve the armature shaft 4| to move the elevator 33 upwardly until it has resumed its uppermost position, preparatory to repeating the cycle of operation, just previously described.

One arrangement of an electric circuit for accomplishing automatic operation of the machine I2 has been illustrated diagrammatically in Fig ure 11 and the various switches for controlling such circuit has been illustrated in other views of the drawings. Assuming that the grillwork wall 2'! is approaching its position against the frame members It after a stack of cans 93 has been discharged from the machine I2, a pair of switch actuating elements NH and I02 are secured to and project re'arwardly from the wall 21 and a pair of switches I 03 and I04 is supported on one of the frame members I0, said switches I03 and I04 each including a rotatably mounted ratchet wheel I05 and a swingably mounted actuating arm or lever I00 which is spring urged to turn clockwise, as seen in Figure 3, to its full line position of said figure by a contractile coiled spring I0! which is connected thereto and to the frame members I6. Each lever or arm I06 carries a pivotally mounted pawl I08 for selectively engaging one of four equally spaced notches I09 in the complementary ratchet wheel I05. Accordingly, as the wall 21 swings from its position of Figure 3 counterclockwise toward its position of Figure l and as it approaches its position of Figure 1, the switch actuator IOI engages the lever I06 of-the switch I08 and the switch actuator I02 engages the lever I06 of the switch I04 for simultaneously swinging said levers in a counterclockwise direction through an arc of from their positions of Figure 3 to their positions of Figure; 1 for turning the ratchet wheels I05 the same distance and in the same direction due to the engagement of the pawl; I08 each with a notch I09. This movement of the switches I03 and I 04. is completed as the wall 21 reaches its position of Figure 1 from its position of Figure 3. As illustrated in Figure 11, the switch I03 is connected to the motor 5? which drives the cam shaft 44 and this movement of the switch I03 (lo-energizes the electric circuit to the motorEI to interrupt rotation of the cam shaft 44 with the cams 55 in their positions of Figure 1. Similarly, this counterclockwise movement of the switch I 04 energize the electric motor .38 to cause the motor armature to be revolved in a direction so that the elevator 33 will move upwardly relatively to the wall 21. Positive and negative electric conductors H0 and III, respectively, are illustrated'in Figure 11 leading from a suitable source of electric current, not shown, and a branch conductor II2 leads from the pos-' itive conductor H0 through the motor 38 and a negative electrical conductor H3 leads from the conductor I II to the motor 38 and the switch I04 is interposed in the conductor I I A branch conductor 1 I 4 leads from the conductor IIO to the motor 51 and a branch conductor I I5 connects the motor 51 to the conductor I I I and has the switch I03 interposed therein. Figure 11 illustrates the switches I03 and I04 in their; positions just prior to the time that they are actuated by the switch operators IOI and I02, as just previously described. A brace member IIO- extends from top to bottom of the frame 24- and is secured therein. The brace HE is provided with a pair of guide members Ill which project laterally therefrom and in which is reciprocally supported a rod II8 having a laterally turned lower end H0 and a laterally turned upper end I20, as best illustrated in Figure 4. A lug IZI is fixed to and projects laterally from the intermediate portion of the rod H8 and is disposed to engage a yoke shaped end I22 of a lever I23 which is pivotally mounted intermediate of its ends at I24 and which has an opposite bifurcated end I25 which engages a laterally turned end I26 of a switchlever I21 which forms a part of a switch I 28. The switch I20 is constructed like the switches I04 and I03, as seen in Figure 5,. and includes a rotatable contact member I29 having four equally spaced notches I30 to receive a spring pressed pawl I31 which is urged into engagement with the notches I30 for turning the switch part I20 to reverse the position of said switch only when the end of the lever designated I26 is swung upwardly as on the downward swinging movement of the lever end I26, the pawl I3I rides the periphery of the ratchet wheel I29 out of engagement withone notch I30 into engagement with another notch I30. A solenoid switch I 32 is supported in a housing I33 which housing and the switch I28 are supported by a bracket I3 3 which extends laterally from the brace H6. The switch I 32, as best seen in Figure 11, has a pin I35 which extends outwardly through a slot I30 in core I46 of the solenoid I40.

the housing I33 and which engages a slot I81 of the lever I23. An over center spring I38 at-- tached to the lever I23 and housing I33 retains the'lever I23 at an incline in either direction. Accordingly, as the elevator 33 reaches the upper extremity of its movement a pin I39, which extends inwardly therefrom strikes the rod end I20 to swing the lever I23 from its position of Figure 4 to its position of Figure 5. This movement of the lever I23 does not move the switch I28 from its position of Figure 11 so that the motor 38 remains energized; however, this upward displacement of the rod H8 and the pin 'I2I which rocks the lever I23 to its position of Figure 5 causes the solenoid switch I32 to assume its circuit interrupting position of Figure 11 thereby de-energizing the solenoid I40. The solenoid I40 is interposed in a circuit formed by the branchconductors MI and I42 and which are connected to the conductors H and I I I and the switch I32 is interposed in this circuit.

A pair of bearings I43 (see Figure 3) is secured to and projects from the upper rear portion of the frame I3 and has a jack shaft I44 journalled therein to which is fixed a crank I45 having a free end pivotally connected to the upper end of the A bracket I41 is fixed to and rises from the upper rear left hand corner of the frame I3, as seen in Figure 5, and has a curved stop finger I48 journalled therein at I49 and which is provided with an extension I50 which projects rearwardly from the bracket I41 and which is pivotally connected to one end of a-depending link I I, the lower end of which is pivotally connected to a crank I52 which extends rearwardly from and is fixed to the shaft I44. A spring I53 which is. connected to the stop I48 and bracket I41 urges the, finger I48 and its lever I50 to normally swing clockwise as seen in Figure 3 so that the finger I48 is urged downwardly to an inoperative position by the spring I53. Accordingly, when the solenoid I is deenergized by the opening of the solenoid switch I32, aspreviously described, its armature I46 is released allowing the spring I53 to swing the parts I48 and 150 clockwise as seen in Figure 3 to likewise turn the jack shaft I44 clockwise through the connection of the link and lever -I5I, -I52 whereby the core M6 is elevated relatively to the solenoid. These parts are most clearly illustrated in Figure 2. A conventional reversing switch I54 (Figure 2) is supported by a bracket I55 on the rear part of the frame I3 and has a reversing bridge I56 which is swingably supported by a shaft I51, journalled in the switch I54. The shaft I51 is connected by link and lever. means I58 to the jack shaft I44 so that when said jack shaft is rotated or turned clockwise, as previously described, by the action of the spring I53 the bridge I56 which is inter posed in the conductor II3, between the motor 38 and switch I04, reverses its position from engagement with the contacts I51a to engagement 'As an elevator 33 commences its downward movement the feeder chute 86 is in itsdotted line position at the right-hand end of the. frame I3, as seen in Figure 4, or at the left-hand end of the frame, as seen in Figure 2, and while the feeder 86 is thus disposed and before the solenoid I40 is de-energized, as previously described, the finger I48 extends upwardly into the chute 86, as illustrated in Figure 3, to engage one of the cans 93 to prevent the cans from being fed from the discharge end 98 of the chute; however, when the solenoid is de-energized and the shaft I44 is rocked clockwise by the spring I53, as previously described, the stop finger I48 isswung downwardly to release the can 93 and to clear the chute 86 so that the cans may then commenceto be fed from said chute onto the elevator 33 which is in its uppermost position. Also, this movement of the jack shaft I44 causes a lever I59 which is fixed thereto to swing upwardly and out of engagement with the head; of a pin I60 which rises from a resilient blade I6I of a switch I62, as best illustrated in Figure 11. When this occurs, the blade I6I is spring biased upwardly so that the switch I62 assumes a circuit closing position for energizing the motor 16 which drives the feeder chute 86, as previously described. As seen in Figure 11, branch conductors. I63 and I64 connect the motor 16 to the conductors I I0 and I I I, respectively and the switch I62 is interposed in the conductor I64.

A second solenoid switch I65 is interposed in the conductor I42 of the solenoid I40. and is mounted, as seen in Figure 2, on the frame I3 adjacent the stop finger I48 and includes a spring blade I 66 which is normally spring. biased ,to .a circuit interrupting position. A headed pin I61 projects from the blade I66 and is disposed to be engaged by a part of the chute 86 when the motor 16 is de-energized and the feeder chute 86 is in its immobile position at the left-hand end of the frame I3, as seen in Figure 2. Accordingly, as the feeder 86 commences to move from left to right of Figure 2 away from the' left-hand end of the frame I3 it disengages the headed pin I61 allowing the switch blade I66 to spring away from the other switch blade supporting contact to open the switch I65. This does notaffect'the circuit of the solenoid I40 at this time, due to the fact that said circuit has been previously interrupted by the opening of the switch I 32. The operation earlier described whereby the feeder 86 traverses back and forth across the top of the frame I3 as the elevator 33 slowly descends, continues until the elevator approaches its bottommost position of Figure 10, at which time the pin I39 strikes the rod end II9 displacing the rod II8 downwardly. The downward movement of the pin I2I, carried by the rod IIB, thereupon rocks the lever I23 from its position of Figure 5 to its position of Figure 4. When this" occurs the switch I28 is actuated by the pawl I I3 traveling upwardly so that the conductor bridge of said slotted lever portion I31 which engages saidpin but the solenoid I40 is not then energized due to the fact that the switch I65 is still in a circuit interrupting position, so that the feeder motor 16 will continue'to operate until the feeder chute 86 has completed its traverse of the frame I3 from right to left,'as seen-inFigu're 5, thus allowing the feeder B6 to complete the last or top row or course of the stack of cans being formed. When the feeder 86 has reached the lefthand end of the frame I3, as seen in Figure 5, it will then strike the pin it? and close the switch IE and as the switch I32 is already closed, this will re-energize the solenoid Hi8. When the solenoid hill is energized, its armature 146 will be drawn downwardly turning the jack shaft l l i counterclockwise, as seen in Figure 3, thus moving the stop I48 upwardly into the chute St to prevent the cans 93 from being fed therefrom, this also moving the lever i559 into engagement with the pin I62 to open the switch lSZ and deenergize the feeder motor iii and stop the feeder. This counterclockwise movement of the jack shaft 145 will also turn the shaft I57 in the opposite direction through its link and lever connection to the jack shaft Hi4 for returning the conductor bridge 556 of the reversing switch E54 back to its initial position in engagement with the contact 5111, so that when the elevator motor 38 again energized its armature shaft will be driven in the opposite direction to move the elevator 33 upwardly, as previously. described.

A switch $58, corresponding to. the switch ti t and which is likewise interposed in the circuit of the motor El is mounted on a bracket 16.9 which is supported by the frame is and is disposed behind said frame and has a ratchet wheel Elli provided with four equally spaced notches which are selectively engaged by a pawl iii to turn said ratchet wheel 1T9 only in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Figure 6: and only when the lever I12 which carries the pawl and which is pivotally mounted on the switch tilt is swung downwardly. A lever [13 is fixed to. and extends rearwardly from the jack shaft. 15% above the lever ll'Z and said levers are connected at their free ends by-a link I'M. Accordingly, when the solenoid ldi} is energized, as. previouslydescribed it. turns the. jack shaft. Mil counterclockwise, as seen in Figures 3 and 6:, the lever Hi5 will move from its position of Figure 6 to its. position of Figure 3 to. thereby turn the conductor bridge of the switch fed through an arc of 9%) from its position of Figure 11 and into. engagement with the other two oppositely disposed: contact points of said switch, to. thus re-energizethe etectric motor 51', since the two contact bridges; of" the switches 13 and H38. will then eachbe disposed at: a. right. angle to: their positions of Figure 11. when this occurs, the motor of will the cam shaft ill at a very slow: speed: through an arc of 360 to accomplish the swinging of'the wall 21 to. an upright position and the disengaging of the. stack of cans from the. elevator fingers 36; as. previously described, and during which time the wall 21 will swing from itsv upright: positionof Figure 3 back to its position of Figure I so that as the. cam shaft M completes one revolution the switchactuators wt and W2 will. have again swung the levers H35 counterclockwise, as seen in Figures'l and 3, from theirpositions of Figure 3 to their positions of Figurel to thereby ale-energize the cam shaft motor 5'!" and energize the elevator motor: 38. as previously described. It will be readily apparentthat when the: grillwork wall, 27 is swungv toward.anupwardiposftion the. switchv actuators l0]. and. 482 more. therewith and out. of, engagement with the levers L65 allow ing the spring 101 to returnv the levers tilt. to their. positions of: Figure 3,.. Accordingly; the v operation: previously described will them repeat. itself. the same cycle, thus providinga; machine he 'whichmay operate automatically for'sta'ckin'g cans 93.

Referring to Figure 1, it will be observed that the discharge end 88 of the feeder chute S6 is disposed outwardly of the wall 21, when said wall is resting against the frame members l6 so that each can 93 discharged therefrom will be spaced outwardly from the two cans disposed therebeneath and will then slide by gravity toward the wall 27 so that the flanges 98 and 99 of each can 93 will be displaced forwardly with respect to the flanges of the cans disposed therebeneath. As a result, when the stack of cans is discharged from the machine this overlapping relationship of the end flanges, which has been considerably exaggerated in Figure 1, will prevent the cans of the stack from sliding from right to left of Figure 3.

Various modifications and changes are con templated and may obviously be resorted to, without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A tin can stacker comprising a supporting frame having an upwardly and rearwardly inclined front portion, a Wall member against which cans are adapted to be stacked swingably mounted adjacent its lower edge on the lower portion of the front edge of said frame normally resting against the inclined front of the frame and disposed parallel thereto, an elevator mount ed along the outer side of said wall, driven means connecting said elevator to the wall and movi the elevator intermittently upwardly and downwardly from bottom to top-and top to bottomof said wall, a feeder chute mounted on the frame and disposed thereabove, driven means supported by the frame and connected to said chute and moving the feeder chute back and forth from end-to-end of the frame, said feeder chute having a downwardly inclined discharge end opening above the upper edge of said wall, when the wall is disposed against the inclined frontsurface of the frame, for discharging cans to be stacked from said feeder chute onto the elevator or" onto a course of cans disposed therebeneath as the: elevator is moved downwardly, intermittently actuated cam means rotatably mounted in the: frame and actuated when the elevator has reached a lowermost position to engage and swing said wall, the elevator and cans supported thereby away from the inclined front wall of the frame to an upright position, pushing means actuated simultaneously with said cam means anddisplaced forwardly fromsaid wall, when" the wall is swung to an upright position, for displacing the stack of cans disposed against the wall and supported by the elevator out of engagement with the ele vator' and wall, said pusher means being there after retracted and initially assuming a: nested position in said wall and thereafter swingingthe wall back. to an inclined position. againstlthe front wallof'theframe;

2, A. tin can stacker asin: claim. 1;. and wheels depending; from the. supporting; frame and combining: therewith to form amobile support for. the can stacking; machine.- whereby the machineiwill be displaced away from a stack. ofcanssupporteda by the; elevator: by the outward. displacement of the.- pushi'ng means; for: disengagim the machine from. the: cans stackedi thereon and supported thereby.

3. A tin can stacker aSFhI 2,. and: means on; said frame; and interrupting; theraperation of said second mentioned driven means when the elevator has reached the lowermost position of it movement and after the feeder chute has completed its movement longitudinally of the frame and in one direction and before operation of said cam means is begun.

4. A tin can stacker as in claim 2, means mounted on said frame and interrupting the operation of said second mentioned driven means when the elevator has reached the lowermost position of its movement and after the feeder chute has completed its movement longitudinally of the frame and in one direction and before operation of said cam means is begun, and means actuated by the elevator reaching the uppermost position of its travel for causing said second mentioned driven means to resume operation.

5. A tin can stacker as in claim 1, an electric motor of the reversible type connected to and driving the driven means of said elevator, a reversing switch supported by the frame and actuated by the elevator upon reaching the upper and lower extremities of its movement for reversing the electric motor, a first switch supported by the frame and engaged and actuated by the elevator, when it reaches its lower extremity of travel for de-energizing the levator motor, and a second elevator motor switch supported by the frame and engaged by a part of said swingable wall as the wall moves to an inclined position against the front of the supporting frame to re-energize the elevator motor.

6. A tin can stacker as in claim 1, means mounted on said frame and interrupting the operation of said second mentioned driven means when the elevator has reached the lowermost position of its movement and after the feeeder chute has completed its movement longitudinally of the frame in one direction and before operation of said cam means is begun, means actuated by the elevator reaching the uppermost position of its travel for causing said second mentioned driven means to resume operation, and a stop member pivotally mounted on the supporting frame and disposed beneath the feeder chute when the movement of the feeder chute is interrupted, said stop being actuated simultaneously with interruption of the operation of said second driven means and being swung upwardly into the discharge end of the feeder chute for blocking the discharge of cans therefrom.

7. A tin can stacker as in claim 1, said second driven means including a driven endless chain disposed longitudinally of the supporting frame having upper and lower flights, a block fastened to a portion of said chain and disposed to one side thereof, an extension depending from the feeder chute in which said block is slidably engaged for vertical sliding movement whereby the feeder chute will travel in one direction relatively to the frame as the block is traversing the upper flight of the chain and in the opposite direction relatively to said frame when the block is traversing the bottom flight of the chain.

8. A tin can stacker as in claim 1, said elevator including a plate disposed substantially parallel to the wall member, a plurality of can supporting fingers projecting outwardly from the bottom edge of said plate and perpendicular thereto, said fingers being spaced relatively to one another 1ongitudinally of the plate for supporting a bottom course of cans on the elevator and with each of the cans engaging between two of the can supporting fingers.

9. A tin can stacker as in claim 1, said elevator including a plate disposed substantially parallel to the wall member, a plurality of can supporting fingers projecting outwardly from the bottom edge of said plate and perpendicular thereto, said fingers being spaced relatively to one another longitudinally of the plate for supporting a bottom course of cans on the elevator and with each of the cans engaging between two of the can supporting fingers, said fingers each being of inverted V-shaped cross section.

10. A tin can stacker comprising a supporting structure including a front wall member normally inclined downwardly and forwardly and against which cans are adapted to be stacked, said front wall member being swingably supported on the supporting structure adjacent its lower edge for swinging movement in a vertical plane from an inclined position to an upright position, an elevator extending along the outer side of said front wall member, a first driven means connecting the elevator to the wall member and which is operable for moving the elevator upwardly and downwardly between the top and bottom of the wall member, a feeder chute mounted on the supporting structure and having a downwardly inclined discharge end disposed above the upper edge of the wall member when the latter is in an inclined position, a second driven means mounted on the supporting structure connected to and driving the feeder chute reciprocally along the upper edge of said wall member for discharging cans to be stacked in courses against the wall member and on the elevator as the elevator is being conveyed downwardly of said wall member by said first driven means, intermittently driven cam means mounted in the supporting structure and connected to the wall member and swinging the wall member to an upright position when the elevator is at the lower end thereof, and pusher, means nested in said wall member and operatively connected to said cam means, said pusher means being displaced outwardly of the wall member when the wall member is in an upright position for disengaging the stack of cans from the wall member and elevator, said pusher means being thereafter withdrawn to a nested position in said wall member and subsequently functioning to swing the wall member inwardly of the supporting structure back to its initial upwardly and rearwardly inclined position,

11. A tin can stacker as in claim 10, said wall member being of grillwork construction having spaced rods extending from top to bottom thereof against which the cans are stacked.

12. A tin can stacker as in claim 10, the discharge end of said feeder chute being ofiset outwardly with respect to the upper edge of the wall member whereby the cans discharged therefrom will be spaced outwardly from previously discharged cans supported by the elevator and will slide toward the wall member for interlocking the end flanges of the stacked cans.

13. A tin can stacker as in claim 10, means for interrupting operation of the feeder chute when the elevator has reached its lowermost position of travel and when the feeder chute has thereafter completed its movement in one direction relatively to the supporting structure, and a stop member operated simultaneously with said last mentioned means and movable into the discharge end of the feeder chute for blocking the discharge of cans therefrom while the stacked cans are being unloaded from the elevator.

14. A tin can stacker as in claim 1, said feeder chute being of rectangular cross section and openwork construction.

15. A tin can stacker as in claim 1, a first electric motor mounted on the supporting structure and connected to and driving said elevator, a second electric motor mounted on the supporting structure connected to and driving the second driven means for reciprocating the feeder chute,

and a third electric motor mounted on the supporting structure and connected to and driving the cam means and pusher means.

16. A tin can stacking machine comprising a supporting structure having a swinsably mounted wall normally disposed at an incline and against which cans are adapted to be stacked in courses when the wall is disposed at an incline, an elevator disposed on the outer side of said well and extending from end-to-end thereof, said elevator having can supporting elements projecting perpendicularly from the plane of said Wall on which the bottom course of the stacked cans are supported, a feeder chute mounted on the supporting A 'structure'having a downwardly inclined discharge and forth along thetop of the wall, elevator drive means moving the elevator from top to bottom of the wall as the feeder chute is reeiprocated, means for rocking the wall away from the supporting structure to an upright, position When the elevator has reached a lowermost position of its travel, and an intermittently driven unloading means including elements disposed innested positz'ons in the wall for swinging movement therewith, said elements being actuated by an intermittently driven portionof the unloading means when the wall is in an upright position for movement outwardly of the wall from a nested position therein and behind the cans for engaging and displacing the cans away from said wall for unloadinc the cans from the elevator.

HOMER WT. MADDEN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED'STATES PATEN'IS Number Name Date 1,9331%? Paxton Oct. 31, 1933 2,161,836 Stevenson June 13, 1939 

